gosline residence, seattle

custom / 2,000 to 3,500 square feet / merit

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has built a national reputation for its expert handling of natural materials like wood and stone. But the firm is equally skilled at working with industrial elements. This Seattle house combines plenty of wood--plywood wall panels, fir flooring, birch interior doors--with fiber-cement siding inside and out, polycarbonate glazing, and poured concrete floors. "The client wanted to avoid too much drywall," says project team member Steve Mongillo, of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson's Seattle office.

An exposed steel spine acts as a guide, drawing visitors into the one-story carport entry and through the house as it grows to three stories on its sloped site. "We're always very interested in architecture revealing how things are put together," says principal Peter Bohlin. The judges approved: "They didn't miss a trick," they said.